Last winter was sublime, with up to 903 inches of snow, shattering records. But that was so 2022-23. This is a new winter, and the ski mountains are looking forward to it as they begin opening. Ski Utah collected a roundup of plans at Utah’s ski resorts.
The Ski Utah Passport, presented by America First Credit Union, is now on sale for the 2023-24 season for $69. Gearing up for its 25th year, the Ski Utah Passport now gives fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders three days (45 days total) of skiing or riding at each of Utah’s 15 resorts. Prices will increase Dec. 1.
Ski Utah is offering its Discover Winter program for a third season. With funding from Morgan Stanley, the Larry H. Miller Foundation and others, Ski Utah is partnering with several organizations throughout the state of Utah to bring more people of color to the slopes. This season, upward of 150 participants from Future Scholars of Africa, Weber State University’s Diversity Clubs, Morgan Stanley, Outdoor Afro and other organizations will have the opportunity to visit a Utah ski resort four times for ski or snowboard lessons.
NEW AT UTAH SKI RESORTS:
Alta Ski Area
The final five Wyssen towers (Remote Avalanche Devices or RACs) are being installed on Mount Baldy this summer at Alta Ski Area. Once all Wyssen towers have been installed, Alta Ski Area’s use of artillery for avalanche mitigation work on Mount Baldy will be discontinued. In addition, the snow-making pipes in the Wildcat base area are being replaced and upgraded.
Beaver Mountain Ski Resort
Beaver Mountain is in year one of a two-year project on the new Marge’s Cabin. Inside the 25,000 square foot facility will be a new rental shop, snowsports school, skier services, retail space and cafe. Beaver is also adding additional parking. The resort anticipates at least a portion of the new parking lot will be completed for the 2023-24 season.
Brian Head Resort
Brian Head Resort is now offering a “Free On-Snow Experience” to guests. The free on-snow experience is a series of self-guided, step-by-step clinics to prepare guests for their time on the snow. As guests move through learning stations, instructors provide personalized tips along the way, leading to quicker skill acquisition and a deeper understanding of the fundamentals. The experience is open to all ages.
Brian Head will introduce new gladed terrain for the 2023-24 season. With terrain ranging from beginner to most difficult, the trees under the Wildflower Lift add new gladed skiing for every ability level. The Shotgun trail located near the Giant Steps Express, Brian Head Resort’s four-person high-speed detachable lift, has also received extra glading. The newly gladed trails allow guests to easily explore tree skiing in-bounds.
Brian Head Resort has expanded snowmaking coverage on the Lower Aught trail, allowing the resort to open more early season terrain. By utilizing low-energy solutions and cutting-edge snowmaking equipment, the over $500,000 investment in snowmaking upgrades provide better early-season snow conditions and a more consistent base.
Brighton Resort
Brighton’s upgraded Crest6 Chairlift is a six-passenger chairlift will provide faster access to runs while ensuring a smoother and more comfortable ride. Brighton has added the Sidewinder Grill, along with investing in its snowmaking and grooming capabilities, including the purchase of a new Piston Bully diesel electric hybrid snowcat.
Additionally, the revamped terrain park offers thrilling challenges for riders of all levels, from beginners to seasoned pros, with new features and obstacles.
Cherry Peak Resort
The family-owned, nearly 400-acre resort features three triple chairlifts, a comprehensive snowmaking infrastructure and a 1.25 mile-long run. Cherry Peak will introduce tubing and snow making infrastructure updates for the 2023-24 season.
Deer Valley Resort
Deer Valley Resort will more than double its skiable terrain, adding 3,700 additional acres in coming seasons. In addition, the resort will invest $12.2 million in resort improvements and capital maintenance for 2023-24.
While Deer Valley will continue to unveil additional projects in the future, the first phase of “Expanded Excellence” will see Deer Valley develop and operate 3,700 acres of new skiable terrain to be completely integrated into the existing resort. Substantial new skier services will be added as part of a new village and portal accessed via U.S. Route 40. The expanded terrain will encompass 16 new chairlifts, including a 10-passenger gondola, and ski access across South Peak, Park Peak, Big Dutch, Pioche and Hail Mountains on the east side of Deer Valley’s Bald Mountain.
This terrain was formerly referred to as the Mayflower Mountain Resort project. Boasting nearly a 3,000 vertical drop from the highest point on Park Peak at 9,350 feet, the additional terrain will offer skiing for all abilities across 135 planned ski runs, including several wide-open bowls and gladed areas. More information can be found here: https://expandedexcellence.deervalley.com/.
Deer Valley Resort will also update and upgrade food and beverage experiences for the 2023-24 season, including renovating the second level of Royal Street Café into a 21+ apres-ski bar called The Royal, creating a new Kids Ski School lunch center on the second floor of Snow Park Lodge and upgrading the interior of Silver Lake Lodge.
Eagle Point
Eagle Point is investing over $200,000 in updates to the Skyline and Monarch lifts. Four new mountain bike trails will open in summer 2024. Road improvements to Highway UT-153 and Upper Meadows Drive will help guests travel seamlessly up to Eagle Point throughout the 2023-24 season.
Nordic Valley
Nordic Valley is cutting two brand new trails on the Nordic Express terrain for the 2023-24 season. Nordic Valley has also expanded parking by 200 spots.
Park City Mountain
New at Park City Mountain this season, an upgraded Red Pine Gondola, with brand-new cabins offering 360-degree views along with a quieter, smoother ride. Plus, holiday festivities, winter concerts and fireworks, and signature events to celebrate the resort’s 60th anniversary.
Park City Mountain will introduce a new My Epic app where Mobile Pass & Mobile Lift Tickets will be available for the upcoming season. The new technology will allow guests to buy their pass or lift ticket online, activate and store it on their phone in the new My Epic app, put their phone in their pocket, and get scanned, hands-free, via Bluetooth technology designed for low energy usage. This will reduce the need to visit the ticket window or wait to receive a pass or lift ticket in the mail.
In support of the company’s Commitment to Zero sustainability commitment, this change over time will also reduce the waste created by plastic cards and RFID chips.
Powder Mountain
A new cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trail network near the Village lift at Powder Mountain will offer additional ways to get onto the snow. A new on-trail warming hut will offer hot chocolate and a chance to shake off the cold. A new activity hub, dubbed the Launch Pad Yurt, will open in December near the top of the Village chair. The Launch Pad will serve as the jumping off point for a host of winter activities, including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, moonbike tours, snowmobile tours and more.
Powder Mountain will open access to 500 acres of some of the steepest terrain accessible from the mountain. Called DMI (Don’t Mention It) the newly opened terrain offers 3,000 feet of vertical drop through tight chutes and open bowls. For guest safety, access to DMI is only via guided experience. The adventure begins with a snowcat ride up Lightning Ridge followed by a short hike to the drop-in point. Each group will be accompanied by two guides and provided with all the necessary backcountry safety gear, including an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel.
With progression in mind, the instructional terrain and infrastructure at Sundown Lodge is set for major improvements. The Tiger Tow will be replaced with a new Sunkid surface lift and will be open for night skiing. Sundown will become the first area of the mountain with snowmaking infrastructure with a new system set for installation in the beginner area. The ski school facility at Sundown will be replaced with a new structure that will house rental and retail operations temporarily.
Snowbasin Resort
A new patio is coming to Snowbasin’s Strawberry side of the resort alongside the DeMoisy Express, increasing access to this area. Spanning from the northwest portion of Strawberry Lodge and encompassing over 5,000 square feet, the area will feature a heated cobblestone patio with over 180 seats and multiple dining options, providing access to more food and beverage options at the base of Strawberry Gondola and DeMoisy Express.
The addition of DeMoisy Express was announced in December with the promise of doubling the uphill capacity to Snowbasin’s Strawberry side of the resort through the six-chair, high speed installation. Construction is underway, with the project scheduled to be completed in December.
Snowbasin will have 124 additional parking stalls coming to its Canyon Rim lot. This addition is the second parking expansion Snowbasin has taken on in the past three years with available spaces spanning five lots.
Snowbird
Valid for the 2023-24 season, Snowbird has introduced the first-of-its-kind Kids Freeloader Pass program. Aiming to reduce barriers to entry for snowsports, the Kids Freeloader Pass program gives anyone ages 18 or under a free Snowbird Season Pass when linked to an Adult, Military or Senior Snowbird Summit Pass. This 1:1 pass program means that a Snowbird Summit Passholder can give their Kids Freeloader Pass to a dependent, family member or community member at no cost, with no restrictions.
The resort is introducing the Mountain Center — a one-stop shop where guests can make dinner reservations, book a snowcat or helicopter seat with Snowbird Mountain Guides, schedule a lesson with Snowbird Mountain School, buy their lift tickets, get information about the mountain and more. The Mountain Center will be located on the Snowbird Plaza Deck near the Aerial Tram.
Snowbird’s original Wilbere Lift — installed for the mountain’s opening in 1971 and named for Founder Ted Johnson’s wife and partner, Wilma — is scheduled for a replacement starting in the late spring of 2024. The current fixed grip double chair will transform into a quad chairlift, manufactured by Doppelmayr and Garaventa, increasing the uphill capacity of the chairlift to 1,800 people an hour.
Solitude Mountain Resort
Eagle Express has been removed, making way for the installation of the new high-speed six-person lift. Installed in 1989, Eagle Express was the first high-speed detachable chairlift installed in Utah. In addition to shortened wait times on busy days, the increased uphill capacity of the new chairlift is expected to decrease congestion elsewhere on the mountain. Eagle Express is projected to be
operational by mid-December.
Three new Wyssen tower remote avalanche control systems (RACS) will be installed across Fantasy Ridge. These installations will allow Solitude’s avalanche mitigation team to detonate explosives remotely in terrain that currently requires personnel to manually deploy hand charges. With these detonations, crews will be able to move through the avalanche terrain quicker, allowing terrain in Honeycomb Canyon to be opened sooner.
Sundance Mountain Resort
Sundance Mountain Resort is offering expanded season pass benefits, including a Friends & Family Program, 20% off daily ski or snowboard rentals and three days of skiing at a variety of partner resorts.
Jake’s Lift area has improvements including a road realignment to eliminate skier road crossings and additional parking. There will also be a new beginner run from Jake’s lift to the upper parking lots. New for the 2023-24, Sundance will offer lodging guests relaxation pools.
Woodward
New for the 2023-24 season, Woodward Park City will add a new Pisten Bully Park Pro Snow Cat, celebrate the return of the Big Air feature and additional upgrades to the High-Performance Terrain Zone, introduce new and improved lighting to the tubing park and a resurfaced parking lot.
Continuing for the 2023-24 winter season, Winter Camp returns Feb. 19-21, 2024, for skiers and snowboarders, ages 7-17. Ski and Snowboard Winter Camps follow the same recipe of Woodward Summer Camps with multiple days of coaching and learning with the same coach plus contests, prizes, and games New for 2024, U.S. Ski and Snowboard athletes will join as guest coaches/pros.
Ski Utah is the marketing firm owned and operated by the 15 statewide ski resorts that make up the Utah Ski and Snowboard Association. The organization has been creating brand awareness of and demand for the Utah winter sports product since its inception in 1978. Ski Utah’s primary functions are concentrated in marketing, public policy and public relations. Information about Ski Utah and its members can be found at skiutah.com, on Twitter and Instagram @SkiUtah and on Facebook at facebook.com/skiutahyeti. Ski Utah is committed to be Climate Neutral.